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1. Field of the Invention
The apparatus of the present invention relates to automatic door openers. More particularly the present invention relates to a protector positioned adjacent an automatic or a manually swinging door, such as a market, to protect the door mount from being struck by objects, such as grocery carts, yet allows the door to swing open to a 90 degree position in the event of an emergency.
2. General Background of the Invention
Automatic or manually swinging doors are very common in many settings. One such setting is the entry and exit from a grocery store. This type of door is very important since it allows people with baskets to approach the door, and the door open automatically, allowing the person to enter or exit the store. In most cases the door would automatically open into the store. However, the fire code and other safety codes require that in the event an emergency arises, that the door may be manually opened into the outside, to a point that the door will move from fully closed to a 90-degree position when set upon manually.
One of the problems incurred by groceries are errant grocery carts. Quite often a grocery cart will inadvertently strike the automatic door at its lower mounting pin upon which it rotates, and knock the door off of the pin, thus debilitating the door. One means devised to avoid this is to provide a metal frame between the door at the outside, so that a cart will strike the frame, not the door. However, when such frames are in place, the door is unable to meet fire and safety code standards, since it will be unable to open 90 degrees as required by code, but will be impeded by the safety frame. Therefore, fire marshals across the country are requiring that these frames be removed, and when done, the problem of errant grocery carts returns.
The apparatus of the present invention solves the problems in the art in a simple and straightforward manner. What is provided is a protective frame positioned between the mounting of an automatic or manually swinging door and the exterior, the frame comprising first and second upright members, a pair of absorbable members positioned between and mounted to the first and second upright members to be contacted by grocery carts, and deflecting the carts away from the door; and a spring-loaded mechanism for allowing the absorbable members to be rotated away from the door in the event the door is opened to the outside during an emergency, so that the door is able to travel a complete 90-degree path, without being impeded by the protective metal frame, and complying with fire and safety codes. When the door is closed, the frame rotates back to the position to protect an automatic or manually swinging door against errant carts.
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide an apparatus to protect an automatic or a manually swinging door from being struck by errant grocery carts;
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which is mounted adjacent an automatic or manually swinging door, yet is able to rotate to a position away from the door when the door is opened to the exterior;
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which in a first position protects automatic or manually swinging doors against grocery cart damage, and in a second position allows the automatic door to open to the required 90-degrees to the exterior to comply with fire and safety codes.